Finding Home
by Facade15
Summary: Igneel disappeared, and Natsu was left alone, until a chance encounter with a pair of wizards from an already infamous guild led him to a new home and family. This is how I always imagined Natsu found his way to Fairy Tail after Igneel's disappearance.
1. Chapter 1

The boy stopped in the middle of the street and gaped in awe. He was surrounded by sights and smells he had never seen before, not to mention more people than he had ever seen in his entire, albeit short, life. This was mainly because the pink haired boy had been raised alone, by a dragon, for as long as he could remember. As far as he knew, he had never met another human before. And now he was in a city.

Natsu Dragneel, as the great fire dragon Igneel had named him, took a deep breath to try and calm down. This was all so very new. Of course Igneel had taught him about people, and cities, and their ways, but he had no idea… hearing about it was nothing like experiencing it first-hand. He was used a deserted forest, complete with the natural scents of trees and animals. Here, there was noise, so much noise. He quickly decided he rather liked that. The smell of smoke was prominent as well, he would have to see if he could find a snack over that way. But there was so much more. So much that it just didn't compute. He could feel his head being overloaded by his senses, and dropped to one knee. After a few moments, he got his bearings back, got back to his feet and grinned. He was somewhere new, he had a plan, and everything was going to work out.

Macao and Wakaba were headed back from a job when they saw him. They were walking up a street, laughing and making jokes about the job, when Macao squinted.

"Is that a kid kneeling in the middle of the street?" He asked, a little worried. He had a son of his own, and was feeling a little protective. Wakaba nodded.

"Looks that way. Is he alone?"

They headed towards the boy, only to see him get up and grin. The expression made both men pause. It was both happy and fierce at the same time. On a boy so young, it was a little alarming. The boy had unusual pink hair, and wore a red shirt, shorts, and had an unusual scaly scarf around his neck. He seemed oddly out of place in this town.

Macao and Wakaba exchanged glances, before approaching the pink haired boy.

"Hey, kid, you lost?" Macao asked, not unkindly. For a moment the boy just stared at him with a look of awe. Then he smiled the most adorable smile Macao had ever seen.

"Not really. I'm Natsu!" The kid replied happily. Macao grinned back uncertainly.

"That's great, Natsu. I'm Macao, and this here is Wakaba." He said, gesturing at his companion.

"Say, where are your parents, kid?" Wakaba asked. Natsu's smile fell, replaced by a look of confusion.

"My what?" He said. Wakaba sighed.

"You know, the people who take care of you." Wakaba explained. The smile came back.

"Oh, you mean Igneel!" Natsu exclaimed. Then, to the two wizards' surprise, a look of extreme sadness crossed the boy's young face. "He left."

There was a moment of awkward silence, as Macao and Wakaba tried to process this information. Had this kid's father walked out on him and abandoned him, leaving him to wander around alone? Before they could ask, the crushing sadness vanished from the boy's face, replaced by a look of such fierce determination, it made both wizards' eyebrows shoot skywards.

"It doesn't matter, because I'm going to find him. I'll become as powerful as I have to. No matter what it takes, I promise I'll find him." Natsu swore, fists clenching. Wakaba gulped. This kid was something else. It was intimidating. And there was something about him, something that made Wakaba want to run. Some primal instinct was telling him that this kid was different. Different and dangerous.

Then the moment passed, and the kid was smiling again. Wakaba laughed nervously.

"That's great, kid. Where are you going to start looking?" He asked, trying to get a feel for the boy's plans. After all, if he was planning on doing something reckless, then Macao and Wakaba would be obliged to stop him.

"Here, of course." Natsu answered, and implied "duh" in his voice. Macao smiled tolerantly.

"And after that?"

"Oh. I dunno. I'll find somewhere else to look." The kid replied, shrugging indifferently. Macao was about to point out just how vague and dumb that plan was, when the kid's stomach rumbled loudly. Natsu laughed.

"I'm hungry. I'm gonna find food." He declared, and much to Macao and Wakaba's surprise, he proceeded to sniff the air. His eyes lit up and he turned to seek out food. Frowning, Wakaba stopped him.

"Kid, you got any money?" He asked. Natsu paused.

"Money… that's the stuff that Igneel told me about! That humans give people in exchange for items of real value!" He exclaimed happily. The statement threw both Fairy Tail wizards for a loop. One, he talked about money as though he had only ever heard about it, which was very unlikely. Two, he referred to other people as humans, as though he were something else, and three, he had effectively just dissed money. Wakaba sighed.

"Come with us, kid. We'll treat you." He offered, resigned. The kid grinned and fist-pumped the air.

"All right!" He yelled.

Despite themselves, the two Guild members laughed.

Mere minutes later, their happy expressions had turned to horrified and slightly disgusted ones. The kid ate like no one they had ever met. And apparently, his ability to keep eating was incredible. Their jaws hit the table when he ordered yet another dish.

"So…kid…" Wakaba started uncomfortably. "What are you doing here? In this town, I mean."

Natsu shrugged. "Looking for Igneel, of course. He raised me in a forest that's not too far from here. So I thought, maybe he came here." The kid answered, a little sadly. Macao gaped.

"You were raised in a forest? Alone?" He demanded.

"No. I had Igneel." Natsu replied slowly, growing exasperated.

"So this Igneel left you alone, in the middle of a forest." Wakaba concluded. Natsu nodded. Honestly, how hard was it to understand? But Wakaba wasn't done.

"So is this the first time you've been in a city?" He asked. Natsu laughed.

"This is the first time I've spoken to a human!" He chuckled, shoving down more food. Both men sweatdropped.

"You can't be serious…" Macao whispered, staring at the boy in shock.

"What about Igneel?" Wakaba asked, pleading with the kid to retract his previous statement. This was quickly becoming too weird. Natsu grinned.

"Igneel's not human. He's a fire dragon!"

And just like that, relief swept through the guild members. Because clearly the boy had an overactive imagination, since there was no way the kid was raised by a dragon. Obviously the poor boy believed what he was saying, but that was just like when kids had imaginary friends. Not real, but the kid thought it was.

Macao smiled tolerantly at the kid who was still explaining how awesome and powerful Igneel was. The huge, proud grin on his face was almost funny to the two older men. Then Natsu seemed to once again remember that Igneel was gone, and he stopped. Wakaba sighed as he remembered that though a lot of what the boy said couldn't be taken seriously, he probably really had been abandoned by his father. Maybe all this talk about dragons was his way of dealing with that.

Shaking his head to clear it, Natsu grinned up at the two men. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked. Wakaba smiled proudly.

"Well, kid, we're wizards from the best guild in the world." He started. Natsu gaped in open awe.

"No way! You guys are wizards?" He said excitedly.

"Sure are." Wakaba said, leaning back in his chair. Suddenly Natsu was on his feet, arms raised excitedly.

"That's so cool!" He exclaimed.

Wakaba chuckled. "Yep. We're on our way back from a mission. We had to defeat some terrifying monsters, evil things that tried to eat us alive!" He said. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. Probably for the kid to shrink back in fear, or gasp in shock and awe. Definitely not for him his face to light up even further, as though Wakaba had just told him he was getting a puppy for Christmas.

"Sounds like fun!" He said, an almost feral gleam in his eye. Wakaba chuckled nervously.

"Yeah… fun..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. Macao chose this moment to intervene.

"Sorry, but we actually have a train to catch pretty soon." He said, a bleak expression firmly in place as he took in the bill. He reluctantly paid up, before leaving the restaurant. He turned to the pink haired kid.

"Well, we gotta head home, kid. Our guild is waiting for us." He said, looking down at the small boy. For a moment, Natsu looked oddly wistful, as though that was something he wanted, before the look was replaced with the customary grin.

"Ok then!" He said. Macao and Wakaba waved, and walked away.

It took them all of five seconds to realise the kid was following them. This was because he was casually strolling next to them, arms folded behind his head, huge smile firmly in place.

"Uh… kid?" Macao said, wondering exactly how he had acquired this new companion. Before he could effectively find a way to get rid of him, hands grabbed him from inside a building. Before he could react, two bandits were holding his arms behind him, restraining him. He could see Wakaba in the same position. He was about to draw on his magic when he heard a voice.

"Ah ah ah… I wouldn't do that…" It sneered menacingly. Macao growled as Natsu was pulled in front of them, two men holding him, a third holding a knife to his throat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Never have, never will. There you have it, folks. Sad but true.**

As soon as he saw Natsu's precarious position Macao's eyes widened, and he ditched the attempt to use magic.

"Don't worry, kid." He tried to reassure the boy, but it was then that he noticed that despite his precarious situation, the kid was showing no signs of fear. Just confusion.

The leader of the group of bandits, the one who had spoken earlier, stepped up next to the boy.

"I see you do care about this pathetic brat." He smirked nastily, tossing Natsu a dirty look, before turning his attention back to the guild members. "Now, unless you want the weird haired punk to bleed out before your eyes, I suggest you hand over that reward money you earned." He laughed, evil penetrating even that sound. "Honestly, how useless, worthless wizards like you even defeated those creatures, I'll never know. It must have been some stroke of luck. Everyone knows that Guild slime like you aren't worth the air you breathe, much less jewels. You miserable pigs make me sick."

Macao and Wakaba exchanged glances. The words spoken by the bandit leader angered them no end, and they had no desire to turn over their hard-earned cash, but they were in no position to argue. They could not allow harm to come to Natsu. Sighing, Wakaba shook one arm free and reached into his jacket for the jewels. He froze when a voice cut through the silence.

"You…" In shock, everyone turned to stare at Natsu. The boy was glaring at the leader from under his pink bangs. Macao was once again stunned to realise once again that despite the cold steel pressed to his neck, Natsu was not afraid. He still looked confused, as though he wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but now there was something else in his gaze. Anger. That was it. He looked confused and angry.

"How can you say that? Those are my friends!" Natsu snarled, jerking his chin towards the two guild members, narrowly avoiding being cut by the knife. Macao and Wakaba looked at each other. They were?

"They bought me food, so they are my friends!" Natsu announced dramatically. Had Wakaba been able to, he would have facepalmed then and there. But Natsu wasn't done.

"Why would you say something like that to them? That was mean!" Macao frowned. Was the air temperature rising? His eyes widened. It was. What was going on?

Natsu blinked, and when his eyes snapped open, both guild members and the bandits restraining them stepped back in shock. His eyes had transformed, pupils no longer round and normal, instead vertical slits, like a lizard's. Suddenly fire erupted from the boy's hands, lacing around them before forming into fireballs that settled in his palms. Screaming, the men threatening Natsu leapt away to avoid being burned. The leader stumbled backwards, instinctively joining the largest group of people, the one with the guild members and four of his subordinates. They took a collective step backwards when fire burst into life all around the kid, so he was standing in his own private inferno. His eyes glowed red, and he was terrifying. Macao stared in pure, unadulterated shock. This magic… it was like nothing he had ever seen before. It was powerful. Powerful and deadly. And it was being used by a child.

Suddenly the fire dimmed slightly, and Natsu's hard, lizard-like gaze focused on the bandits.

"I won't let you be mean to my friends!" He screamed, before crouching slightly and splaying his arms at his sides, fingers pointing towards the sky. It was an odd stance, one neither wizard had ever seen before. Then the kid leapt upwards, yelling "_Fire dragon…" _Macao's heart shuddered when he saw it. The fire dragon. He could swear it was flying with the kid, accompanying him, strengthening him, lending him power and support as he prepared his attack. And it was then that Macao knew that the attack was going to be devastating.

"Get down!" He shouted, tackling his friend to the ground. As they hit the floor, they heard the kid yell.

"… _Wing slash!" _Macao looked up to see long rivers of fire burst from the kid's arms, waving and rippling, burning with searing heat. They were wings of pure fire, the most powerful fire he had ever witnessed. Then the kid brought his arms down, and as he did, the fire he had created slammed into the ground, throwing bandits across the street and into buildings. It was wholesale destruction. There was the sound of an explosion, and then Macao just focused on hoping he would survive.

Minutes passed in total silence as the dust slowly settled. Wakaba shoved Macao off of him and stared at what was left. The kid, the one who had grinned adorably at them minutes ago as they bought him food, was now the only one left standing. He wasn't even breathing hard. The bandits were scattered, some lying unconscious, some already on their feet, shouting apologies as they ran. Two of the houses on the street had been turned into rubble. Next to Wakaba, Macao also rose. They exchanged looks to make sure the other wasn't harmed, before cautiously approaching the pink haired boy.

"Kid?" Wakaba called quietly. To his endless shock, Natsu turned towards him and _smiled. _He had the nerve to grin as though he hadn't just taken out seven bandits and two houses.

"Hey guys!" He called, waving happily. Macao gulped.

"Nat- Natsu, you took them all out." He said, stumbling over the kid's name. It now seemed too gentle for him. Natsu looked around, grinned and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it, it was no trouble. I owed you for the food anyway." He said cheerfully. The guild members' jaws dropped. He was so… nonchalant. As though what he had done was nothing to him. As though it was ordinary.

Wakaba pulled himself together and whispered to Macao. "You ever seen anything like that?" Macao was quick to shake his head. No, this was new. Wakaba hesitated a moment, before continuing. "Did I imagine a huge dragon…?" Macao once again shook his head. No, he had seen it too. And he didn't like it. They looked at each other for a moment, but were interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the distance. People were coming to see what had happened. Wakaba grabbed Natsu's arm.

"Kid, you realise that you just turned two houses into dust?" He asked. He gazed into Natsu's guileless, honest eyes as the kid replied, "Yeah, so?"

There was a moment of silence. Natsu seemed to pick up that something was wrong.

"Is that bad?" He asked, glancing from Macao to Wakaba.

Wakaba stared at the kid, before gaping in shock. Oh god, he actually meant it. He actually had no idea that being so destructive was most certainly not a good thing. The kid had no idea… And suddenly Wakaba realised that they couldn't just set this kid loose on the world. There was no telling what he would do with it. He let go of the kid's arm and managed a smile.

"I need a moment with my friend here." He said, dragging Macao a few paces away.

"We have to take him with us back to the guild." Wakaba muttered urgently. Macao glanced at the kid, who was brushing dust off of his scarf, and nodded in agreement.

"We have to hurry. I don't want to answer for this mess." Macao replied. They jogged over to where Natsu was standing.

"Hey, kid, whaddya say you come back to our wizard's guild with us, huh?" Wakaba said, attempting cheerful. Natsu frowned.

"Well, I'd like that, but…" He trailed off, biting his lip, before turning back to Wakaba. "I have to look for Igneel." He said, that determined glint back in his eye. Wakaba nodded.

"I get it. But joining the guild could really help your search." He said. Natsu's eyes widened and he looked up at Wakaba hopefully. "It could?" He asked.

"You don't really know where to look right now, do you?" Wakaba continued. When Natsu shook his head, he went on. "Well, in the guild, we get all kinds of information and rumours. You might get a lead to follow. Also, you might be able to get people to help you. And you'd be able to improve your magic."

Natsu considered this. Eventually he looked up and raised a clenched fist.

"This isn't an excuse, all right? I'm not ducking out of looking for him, I'm just trying to find out where to look! Got it?" He challenged. Wakaba nodded in understanding. Macao sighed in relief. Then he remembered about the people coming.

"Quick, we gotta run!" He said, grabbing his companions and setting off. Despite his small stature, Natsu kept up and followed them all the way to the train station.

They quickly bought Natsu a train ticket and hurried towards the one they had to catch. They were running a little late, and Wakaba was in no mood to wait for the next one. So he sighed in frustration when he realised that Natsu had come to a stop and was staring at the train.

"Kid, you coming?" He asked shortly. Natsu shifted uncomfortably, wide eyes never leaving the train.

"What does it do?" He said quietly. Wakaba realised that for once, the kid seemed a little unnerved. He sighed again.

"It'll take us home." He answered. This didn't seem to reassure Natsu in the slightest.

"It… it moves?" He asked, and his weight shifted backwards slightly, as though he was stopping himself from taking a step away. Or maybe he just didn't like standing still.

"Yeah, it moves. Now come on!" Wakaba said impatiently. Natsu gave the train another suspicious look.

"It just seems so wrong…" He muttered. Wakaba snorted, he had had enough.

"So bandits don't faze you, but at the sight of a train, you turn chicken?" He mocked. The words had the desired effect. Natsu's head flew up and he started waving his fist at Wakaba.

"I'm not scared!" He yelled, finally running over and jumping onto the train behind Wakaba. Macao waved from where he had found seats, and Natsu jogged over and took a window seat. He peered out for a while. Macao smiled.

"Never been on a train before?" He asked. Natsu shook his head mutely, and opened the window widely. Then the train departed.

Everything happened very fast. Natsu looked confused for a moment, before his eyes widened and then he doubled over, hands covering his mouth. His face turned an interesting shade of blue.

"Kid? What's wrong?" Wakaba asked, shocked. Natsu didn't answer, instead turning away and puking out the window.

"Eurgh…" Natsu groaned, looking decidedly unwell. Then he tried to climb out of the window. Macao grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back, despite the kid's resistance.

"Natsu! What are you doing?" Macao demanded. Natsu struggled, weakly trying to throw himself out of the train.

"I'm escaping!" He answered. Then he had to stop as he tried to not throw up everywhere again.

"What's up with him?" Wakaba asked, eyeing the pink haired kid warily. Macao shrugged. Natsu groaned again.

"Why is it moving?" He got out.

"Motion sickness?" Macao suggested, edging away from Natsu, who was looking worse by the second. A man walked past, took one disgusted look at the pink haired boy, and hurried away, muttering, "Worst motion sickness I ever saw…" Macao pinched the bridge of his nose. Nothing could be simple with this kid, could it? Now they would have to put up with his moaning and endless complaining, not to mention the constant threat of puke. But they had been the ones to drag him along, so they couldn't really move and leave him on his own. Besides, something would happen if they left him. He would set fire to something.

"How- oh no- how long is this gonna take?" Natsu got out. Wakaba sighed.

"A long time. We should arrive in the morning" He replied. The kid glanced outside and saw that it was only mid-afternoon. He slumped more. Macao and sat back and tried to relax, aware that this was going to be one long journey.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Fairy Tail. Damn, I wish I did.**

A few hours in, Natsu was suffering in silence, Wakaba was staring miserably out of the window, and Macao was watching the pink haired boy.

"Natsu, you should try to sleep. It might be easier on you." He suggested. Natsu gazed at him blearily, eyes unfocused, before nodding slightly. He hunched in on himself more and closed his eyes. It was already late, and before long Natsu's breathing evened out. Wakaba glanced at the passed out kid.

"You know, earlier when he was using his magic, he was… pretty intimidating. Almost inhuman. But now…"

"He's just a kid." Macao finished, smiling fondly. "Even now that I know he's a powerful wizard, I still like him." He added. Wakaba nodded slowly.

"What threw me off is how young he is. Someone that young shouldn't be able to wield that much power." He said. "But once you get past that, he's pretty normal. Doesn't like to be called a chicken, eats a lot, gets enthusiastic about everything… sounds like your average kid."

"It shouldn't be hard to get him into Fairy Tale." He chuckled. "Actually, he'll fit right in."

Many people wondered how one actually joined a guild, especially one as famous as Fairy Tail. The truth was that there was no official route, you just had to meet and befriend a Fairy Tail wizard. That, or you do what Canna did, and just ask for someone and then start hanging around enough to just eventually join anyway. To be honest, you could probably just walk into the guildhall and ask.

Just then, a small voice interrupted their conversation.

"Please…" They turned to Natsu. He was apparently still asleep, but was gripping his scarf tightly, and had a pained expression on his face. "Igneel… Please don't leave me!"

Macao felt his heart break a little. He knew he could never abandon his Romeo, his own son, but whoever this Igneel was, he had clearly left this boy. He couldn't understand how someone could do that.

"Why did you leave?" Natsu whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks even though he was sleeping. His knuckles were turning white from where they were clutching the scarf. "Why did you leave me all alone?"

Wakaba felt anger stir deep inside him. He didn't know this Igneel fellow, but he hated him. This kid had an almost permanent smile on his face, except for when he thought about Igneel. Igneel had caused the kid pain, and that in turn hurt Wakaba. He hadn't known Natsu for long, but he knew he didn't deserve the nightmares that came with being abandoned by your only family.

Macao couldn't stand watching the kid like that, so he reached out and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. The kid's reaction was instantaneous. His eyes snapped open and he straightened slightly, turning his penetrating gaze to the guild member. Macao didn't pull back, and neither did the kid shrug him off. He just looked at the older man.

"You know, Natsu, in our guild, we look out for each other. We're like a family of our own." Macao said softly. The pink haired boy looked away, pulling on his scarf so he could see it properly. Wakaba wondered what it meant to him.

"I _will_ find him." Natsu said, voice cracking, and for the first time, the two guild members realised that maybe they weren't the ones Natsu was trying to convince. So Macao nodded.

"You will." He confirmed. Natsu's eyes shone back at him from the darkness, filled with cautious hope. He wanted to believe that he would find his father, that much was plain to see. But it seemed that his nightmares made him insecure. In the dark of night, he was unable to maintain the fierce determination that kept him going throughout the day. In the night, fear and hurt made him lose his brazen attitude, and took away his confidence. For the first time, Macao realised that this kid really needed Fairy Tail. He needed people to believe in him and keep him going, even when he couldn't believe in himself.

"I know you will. I believe in you." Macao said firmly, watching as some of the insecurity faded from Natsu's eyes. The kid swallowed and glanced away.

Then the touching moment passed when Natsu was hit by another wave of motion sickness induced nausea and was left trying not to throw up again. Macao quickly moved away. Believe in the kid he may, but that didn't mean he wanted to be puked on.

Soon, Natsu was unconscious again, and Wakaba spoke up.

"You know that feeling you get, when something's about to happen? Something big?" He asked. Macao nodded.

"Something's happening. We've done something by bringing this kid. Set something in motion." Wakaba said, contemplating. "The question is, is it for better or for worse?"

Back at the FairyTail Guild, Cana glanced up from her cards.

"Master? Master Macharov!" She called, checking again.

"Yes my child?" He answered, coming over.

"Master, someone's coming. Someone important." She said.

"Someone important, hm? Interesting. Do you have a time and location?"

"Hold on, I'll check. Could someone get me a map of Magnolia?"

Moments later, Cana was staring at the card she had thrown at the map. It landed exactly on…

"The train station. Huh." She muttered, perplexed. She shrugged and turned back to the master.

"Around 6 a.m. at the train station, master. The cards aren't telling me much. This person could be very important, or he could just say something at some point which sets something in motion. He could step on an important twig. There's no guarantee, is all I'm saying." She explained, not wanting the master to get the wrong idea. He nodded.

"Thank you Cana. You've been most helpful." He replied. She smiled happily, and skipped away to get back to her cards.

"Someone important, hmm…?"

Natsu blearily opened his eyes. Something was different…he remembered going to sleep, feeling like the world was spinning…

The world had stopped spinning!

Macao leaned over to shake the kid awake, but before he could Natsu leapt to his feet, fire blossoming in both his hands, manic laughter echoing through the train.

"It's stopped! It stopped moving!" Natsu spun and punched through the train, creating his own door, before jumping through, using his flames to give him extra lift. "I'm back to life!"

Wakaba stared in shock. Oh God, he hadn't…

Time to run.

Makarov entered the train station and paused, wondering where to go next. After all, there were all sorts of places someone important could be hiding…

"_I'm back to life!" _

The shout was loud enough for even him to be able to hear it, and it was followed by a loud crash and the unmistakable roar of fire.

_Well that could be a hint._

**AN: So, what do you think? Please leave reviews, give me your opinions! Unless they're bad, in which case just stop reading and leave my ego intact, please! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own Fairy Tail! Oh wait, no, I don't. And I'm not making any money from this. Trust me, if I was, I would know. **

Makarov hurried in the direction of the commotion, expecting some sort of pyromaniac criminal of various description. What he saw surprised him: a child with rose pink hair, a scaly scarf and huge grin, standing proudly in front of a destroyed train carriage as he laughed. He started when the kid suddenly froze and keeled over. He was even more shocked when two of his own guild members emerged from the brand new entrance to the train. He watched them go over to the kid. Wakaba chuckled.

"Not quite recovered yet then, huh?" He said, laughing at the kid's predicament. Macao glanced around.

"Guys, we need to leave-" He froze when he spotted the master. He nudged Wakaba, who looked over and also stopped moving, like a deer caught in the headlights. Only Natsu seemed oblivious as he pulled himself to his feet, swaying slightly as he did so. Makarov smiled grimly. He couldn't wait to hear this one.

"So, my children. Could you please explain exactly what happened? I believe your mission was relatively simple." He said, walking over. Macao laughed nervously.

"Well, Master, we completed the mission, but then we ran into Natsu here…" He said, gesturing at the boy, who still didn't look great. Still, he looked at Makarov and smiled what had to be the most adorable grin the old master had ever seen.

"Hi! I'm Natsu!" He said cheerfully. "You're the Guild Master?"

Makarov nodded. Natsu's grin became less cute and more fierce. "So you must be pretty powerful, huh?" He went on. Makarov smiled and nodded again. He was used to people being in awe of his power-

"Imma fight ya!" Natsu declared, before charging with a yell. Makarov started. _Wait, what? _But still had plenty of time to dodge the punch and slam the kid into the ground, where he then lay, eyes rolling. Macao punched the bridge of his nose.

"I was rather hoping that attitude only extended to our enemies…" He muttered. The old master glanced up at him.

"I think a more detailed story is in order." He suggested, ignoring the pink haired boy for the time being. Macao shrugged.

"He was alone, so we went over to check on him. Something seemed off about him, and it turns out he was raised in a forest and has had very little interaction with people. It's like he knows about stuff, but has never seen most of it first-hand. A guy called Igneel apparently raised him, but recently disappeared. Natsu's looking for him. Oh, and he has some of the scariest, more powerful fire magic I've ever seen." Macao explained.

Makarov's jaw dropped lower with every word. Wakaba took it upon himself to continue.

"Yeah. We were attacked by bandits, and Natsu took them all out before we had a chance. His magic is amazing. And he did it because those guys insulted us, and because we had bought him food." He coughed. "Also, he demolished some houses. And didn't care. He asked if that was a bad thing." He said, recounting what had transpired. Makarov glanced at the prone child on the ground.

"So much power, but no restraint." He muttered. "He doesn't even know he needs restraint… oh dear." He turned back to his guild members. "So you brought him back here. A good choice." He said approvingly. The two wizards let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile Natsu had struggled to his feet again. To everyone's surprise, instead of sulking or crying, he shot them a lopsided grin.

"I'll beat you one day." He promised, nodding at Makarov. And that seemed to be the end of it. Instead of attacking again, he glanced around.

"Where are we?"

"A city called Magnolia. Home of our guild." Wakaba answered. Natsu gazed around, eyes wide.

"It's way bigger than the other one." He muttered. Macao laughed.

"That other place was just a town, Natsu. There are places that are way bigger." He said. Natsu grinned. At that point, a man in uniform finally dared approach the group.

"Er… Excuse me. Are you responsible for the destruction of this carriage?" He asked, seeming torn between righteous anger and nervousness. Natsu turned to face him

"Yeah. So?" He asked, not catching on to the problem at all. Makarov's jaw dropped. He now saw what his guild members had meant. The boy was a stranger to society. He knew of it, but didn't quite understand everything. This could definitely be an issue.

The guard's face turned dark red at what he perceived to be insolence coming from a young delinquent. "Why, you!" He shouted, but before he could go further, Makarov stepped in.

"Please forgive the boy. He's new around here. Just send the bill to Fairy Tail." He said tiredly. He watched the man's expression morph to anger as understanding dawned, before fading to exasperation, as though he just didn't have the energy to care any more.

"You people and your damn guild." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Would it kill you to leave something standing for once?"

Makarov chuckled sheepishly. "My apologies. We'll try harder next time."

"Sure you will…" The guard griped as he walked away, waving off curious onlookers. Natsu pouted.

"Aw, Gramps! You didn't even fight him!" He said, folding his arms. Makarov raised his eyebrows.

"Firstly, why should I have fought him, he was just doing his job and there was no need for violence. Secondly, _what did you just call me?" _

Natsu looked dubious. "I guess… but I wanted to see you fight…" He muttered. Then he put on his biggest grin. It was like being blinded cuteness. "And I called you Gramps because you're old!"

Makarov laughed a little, still reeling from the adorableness, before his brain finally caught up with his ears: "Aha ha ha - Wait, _what?" _he screeched, but Natsu was already wandering away.

"Wow, this place is great! But I'm still never riding one of those again!" He said, gesturing at the train. Macao chuckled.

"Let's just hope your motion sickness is limited to trains!" He laughed. Suddenly, Natsu looked sick again.

"You mean… there are other things that move?" He asked in profound horror. Wakaba nodded slowly.

"Sure, kid. There are boats, magic-mobiles, carriages…"

Natsu groaned and his hands flew to his mouth again. Wakaba's jaw dropped. "You mean just thinking about the possibility makes you sick?" He yelled. Natsu recovered and grinned fiercely.

"It doesn't matter! So where's this guild of yours?" He asked. Makarov smiled.

"Follow me. I'll take you there." He offered. Natsu grinned, and raised a fist. "All right! Let's go!" He cheered. The older wizards laughed at his enthusiasm, and they set off, headed to Fairy Tail.

**AN: Thank you so much for the positive feedback, it really made my day! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, nor am I making any money from this fanfic.**

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated, I've been at Summer Camp, which was great fun, but didn't leave me with time to go on my laptop, and then I went on holiday in Greece, which was fab but I had trouble connecting to the internet… I'll do what I can to keep updating now that I'm back though. And now, back to the story…**

The four wizards headed across the city of Magnolia towards the Guildhall. The trip was largely uneventful, aside from Natsu darting left and right, gaping at various stalls and sometimes people. It seemed there was a lot he found new and interesting. He attracted a fair few stares and odd glances from passers-by, but then again, so did many Fairy Tail wizards. They had quite the reputation. However, as they got closer to the Guild, Natsu turned his attention back to his companions.

"So what kind of magic do you use again?" He asked Macao, who grinned.

"Me? I use fire magic, but not like yours." He replied. Natsu looked excited.

"Really? That's so cool! What does your fire taste like?"

The two Guild members shot Natsu an odd look, but the Guild Master froze.

"Uh, thanks? I guess… But, kid, you can't eat fire." Macao said cautiously. Natsu stared back disbelievingly.

"Yeah, you can." He said simply, an implied 'duh' in his tone. Macao shook his head. The last thing he needed was for the kid to suddenly decide to try eating fire. As far as he was concerned, there was no possible way that would end well for anyone.

"Kid. Listen carefull. You. Cannot. Eat. Fire."

Natsu's eyes hardened. "Yeah, _you can." _He snapped back. Macao sighed. Why he thought this would be easy he would never know. After all, he should have guessed that the kid would get all confrontational about it. Meanwhile, Makarov stared at Natsu. _No, it couldn't be… _He told himself. But he only knew one other person who could consume his element, and that was his own grandson. But his grandson was a… special case, and there was no way… Just no way.

Still…

"Natsu," Makarov called, thus preventing an argument from breaking out over the edible properties, or lack thereof, of fire. Surprised, Natsu turned to face the small Master. "Would you care to show us your magic?" He asked without preamble.

Natsu shrugged. "Sounds fun." He glanced around the street they were in. Luckily it was empty, and quite wide. "Is here good?"

Makarov nodded, but before Natsu could use his magic, Wakaba grabbed the older wizard's arm and pulled him away. Whispering as quietly as he could, the Guild member spoke.

"Master, it might be better to wait until we're away from things he could accidentally set fire to, destroy, burn to the ground…"

Makarov sighed. "I need to check something. I would prefer to wait until we were on the beach behind the Guild, but this is important." He replied, equally quietly. Wakaba shrugged.

"Fine, but I'm not paying the bills, ok? I wash my hands of this."

"I don't _always _destroy things, you know!" Natsu called, irritated. The three wizards jumped. They had been talking so quietly, and at some distance from the kid. How had he overheard what they had said?

"You have good hearing, kid." Macao muttered. "Really good."

Makarov watched the boy's face. "Indeed." He said, trying not to think that he could name another young boy with similar gifts. He shrugged it off, and gestured at the alley. "Care to demonstrate your magic?"

Natsu nodded, but then hesitated.

"Actually, that stupid train ride wasn't great. I'm running low on energy." He said, looking unhappy. Then he brightened. "If I could get some fire, I could show you then!" He suggested. Macao and Wakaba exchanged confused glances. How on earth could fire possibly help?

Makarov smiled pleasantly. If he was confused or stumped, he was hiding it very well. "That should be easy." He gestured to Macao. "Macao, make some fire!" He ordered. Shrugging, Macao concentrated, and created his special purple flames. He sent them spiralling off down the street.

With a grin, Natsu leapt forward into the flames. Macao and Wakaba both gasped in shock and fear, images of the boy being burnt flashing through their minds. Macao cut off his magic instantly, but it was already too late. Just as they were about to rush forward to try and save Natsu, a strange slurping sound could be heard. They froze and watched, in unconcealed amazement and shock, as Nastu seemed to _eat _the flames. Sure enough, a few seconds later the purple fire was gone, and the boy was standing there, unharmed, leaning forwards with his face hidden from view.

"That was a good meal." He said, voice even. "Your fire's sort of sweet."

Macao gulped. "Uh… thanks?" He got out.

"How…?" Wakaba breathed. He knew the kid had some crazy powers, he had witnessed that first hand, but this… What was this kid? If he didn't know better, if he hadn't seen the kid smile, he would have said he was some kind of monster.

Makarov just stared. _He can't be… _

"You wanted to see my power?" Natsu asked, feet placed well apart. Then he slammed his fists together, causing the Fire Seal to appear. He raised both hands to his mouth and seemed about to blow from them.

"_Fire dragon roar!"_

A huge column of fire erupted from Natsu's mouth. It seemed he was breathing fire. Just like a…

"Dragon…" Wakaba whispered, remembering what the boy had said_. Raised by a dragon_… Was that even possible? Surely the kid just had an overactive imagination… There was no way…

Makarov stared at the orange and red flames created by the boy. He didn't use fire magic himself, but he knew a fair bit about it. As Guild Master, it was his job to know things like that. And so he knew that Macao used clever flames, flames that could move things and touch things without burning them. It was useful, certainly, but it was quite weak. This, however… These flames were strong. Strong and powerful, meant to scorch and burn.

Finally, Natsu's flames died away, and he stood there, panting slightly. Then he turned around with a huge grin on his face, causing all three wizards' jaws to drop.

"So? Whaddya think?" He asked proudly. Macao swallowed.

"Er…" He said eloquently. Wakaba took over.

"That was some fire, kid." He offered, slightly awed. "Way more powerful than anything Macao here has ever done."

"Hey!" Macao shouted angrily at his friend. Natsu laughed.

"That is fire magic one cannot even buy in stores, my child." Makarov said gravely. "Where did you learn it?"

If possible, the kid's grin turned even prouder. "Igneel taught it to me." He explained simply. Makarov nodded carefully.

"I see. And did Igneel happen to tell you what this type of magic is called?" He asked, this clearly being a very important question. Macao and Wakaba waited with baited breath. Natsu didn't seem to catch on to the gravity of the moment.

"Sure. He said it was Dragon Slayer magic."

Makarov's eyes widened in shock and he gasped.

"But that's stupid." Natsu continued. Makarov looked at him with mixed hope and relief. Of course, it wasn't actually Dragon Slayer magic, it couldn't be…

"Why would I ever want to hurt a dragon? They're really nice!" Natsu finished with a happy grin. Makarov passed out.

**A/N: And that is my latest chapter. Again, sorry for the wait, and many thanks to those who are sticking with my story. Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, yadda yadda, we get the picture already.**

**A/N: Here's my next chapter, hope you enjoy!**

"Master! Master!"

"Eurgh… Wha?" Makarov slurred from his position on the ground where he had fallen. He opened his eyes groggily, to see three concerned faces. Two were his guild members, and one belonging to a pink haired boy.

"Why did you fall, Gramps?" Natsu asked, frowning. Macao rolled his eyes, and turned to glare at the pink haired youth.

"He didn't fall, he fainted." He explained impatiently. Natsu tilted his head in confusion.

"I thought only girls fainted?" He said. Makarov scowled, but went ignored.

"Fine then. He passed out. In a very manly fashion. Happy now?" Macao retorted, just as Wakaba muttered, "I could name at least three girls you would not want to say that in front of." Natsu grinned curiously.

"Really? Who?"

Wakaba chuckled derisively. "You'll meet them soon enough."

Natsu scowled momentarily, before getting back to the matter at hand.

"Why'd he pass out then?"

Macao sighed, and then frowned. "Not sure, Natsu." Makarov pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Master!" Macao exclaimed. Makarov ignored him and got to his feet, before turning to stare at the boy. The boy who was a-

"Dragon Slayer…" He murmured, astounded. Natsu looked puzzled.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Uh, Master? What does that even mean?" Wakaba asked, glancing suspiciously at Natsu, who stared back unabashedly. Makarov shook himself slightly.

"Dragon Slayer magic is a very old, very powerful type of magic. It is a Lost Magic, in fact. This particular type was originally used to defeat dragons, hence the name." He explained.

Wakaba stared at him in shock. "But dragons are so powerful! Nothing can take down a dragon!" He exclaimed. Makarov fixed him with a serious look.

"In theory, one day this boy will have the power to rival them." He stated calmly. Everyone turned to face Natsu, who was momentarily distracted and was playing with a butterfly, a huge grin on his face. There was a pause before Makarov continued: "It is very rarely seen nowadays, because it is so difficult to learn." He said, still staring at Natsu.

"Why is it hard to learn?" Macao asked quietly. Makarov finally turned to face him.

"Because it must be taught by a dragon." He said solemnly, neglecting to mention the possibility of having a magical lacrima implanted in your body. No, there was no need to tell anyone about that yet. Still, there was a collective gasp from the two Guild members. Natsu, who had forgotten the butterfly, looked from one person to another.

"I told you that already." He said, a little angrily. "I already said that Igneel was a dragon!"

Macao looked a little sheepish. "I know, but… well, a _dragon… _I mean, they're just so…" He waved his hands expressively. Natsu's face twisted into a confused grimace, before he seemed to decide that he didn't really need to understand what the older wizard was going on about.

"Igneel is a fire dragon. He taught me everything." He said proudly to Makarov. The old Master chuckled, recovering considerably.

"A salamander, eh? You are very lucky, Natsu, to have had such an incredible teacher." He told him, making the pink haired boy grin widely. Wakaba carefully spoke up.

"Master? What does this mean? What can he do?" He asked. Makarov glanced at the boy.

"From what I've… _heard_," The Guild Master started carefully, having already decided not to reveal his grandson's own status to anyone in the guild, "Dragon Slayers take on some physical properties from dragons themselves. They have exceptional senses, such as hearing and smell." _Which made so much sense, _he thought, mind travelling back to the way the kid had been able to hear them from far away even when their voices were lowered. The other two wizards remembered how the boy had sniffed the air. Yes, they had no trouble believing that he had superhuman senses.

"I believe he also has dragon lungs, dragon scales, and the like?" Makarov said, raising a questioning eyebrow at Natsu to have him confirm. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah. That's how I breathe fire." He said happily. Macao nodded slowly. This was so weird. Too weird for him. A kid raised by a dragon… It was too weird.

"Dragon Slayers can also consume their element to become more powerful." Makarov continued. The others stared at Natsu in shock.

"That's some power." Macao breathed. Natsu grinned.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." He said, before glancing towards the end of the street. Are we going to your Guild ever?" He asked impatiently. Shaking themselves out of their previously awed and amazed states, after discovering that the boy used powerful magic taught by dragons, Wakaba nodded.

"Uh, yeah. We're going right now." He said, gesturing in the direction of the Guild. Natsu grinned.

"All right!" He set off at a jog, apparently energised from the fire he had eaten. He was talking at top speed about how interesting everything here was, and how everything smelt funny, and how much louder it all was compared to Igneel's forest… The others just listened to him talk in a mixture of fascination and horror. It came as a great relief to everyone once they finally reached the Guild. When Makarov paused outside, Macao and Wakaba realised that he wanted a word with Natsu alone. Glancing at each other, they both immediately started speaking.

"Well, we're pretty beat…"

"Busy few days…"

"Lots of travelling, you know…"

"Plenty of excitement… Later!"

They hurried inside, leaving Natsu and Makarov standing at the doors of Fairy Tail. Natsu was staring at the Guild Hall with a mixture of happiness and excitement.

"Woah! This place is huge!" He grinned. "So this is a wizard guild, huh?"

Makarov smiled at his obvious enthusiasm. "Yep. It's called Fairy Tail." He said, feeling that he needed to introduce his Guild properly. Natsu didn't seem to mind, he just laughed a little.

"That's a weird name." He commented, still gazing at the Guild Hall with rapture. Makarov chuckled, amused.

"Yes, but you see, nobody knows whether or not fairies have tails, or if they even exist, so it'll forever be a mystery. Unless we try to find out, which could become an amazing adventure. And our members are the ones who would want to find out." He explained.

"I don't get it, but it sounds awesome!" Natsu said happily. Makarov sighed in fond exasperation.

"I had a feeling you would say something like that." He muttered, before gesturing towards the doors. "Shall we?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, I only wish I do.**

**A/N: Here we are, next chapter! Thank you all so much, readers, for the positive reviews and comments you left me, and for just reading my story in general! **

Natsu sat down at a table in the Guild Hall, and glanced around. Everyone was talking loudly, and he had to admit he really liked the place already. The people seemed great. Well, mostly. He shot Gray a nasty glare, which was returned in full force by the other boy, who was, for once, wearing all his clothes. Then he hastily made sure the mean girl, Erza, hadn't seen. He was in luck, the redhead was arguing with a tall, rebellious looking girl with white hair.

He was about to go and pick another fight with Gray when a soft voice came from behind him.

"Hi there."

"Huh?" Surprised, Natsu turned around, and saw a petite girl, with similar white hair to the one who was fighting with Erza, only hers was cut much shorter. She was wearing a sweet smile and for some reason, Natsu instantly liked her.

"My name's Lisanna. What's yours?" She asked, still smiling. After a moment of surprise, Natsu grinned back.

"It's Natsu." He answered. Lisanna's smile seemed to brighten.

"You must be new here. You'll love it. Do you know anyone yet?"

Natsu shook his head hesitantly. "I already met a few people, but not that many." He replied.

"That's okay." The white haired girl glanced around to see who was there. "You know me, and that's my sister Mira Jane over there, and my big brother Elfman." She said, pointing out her siblings. Natsu nodded.

"Okay." He muttered, trying to spot Elfman, who was sitting behind a group of people. Lisanna was still smiling in that really sweet way. Suddenly her face lit up even further.

"Oh! Have you gotten your Fairy Tail emblem yet? She asked excitedly. Natsu shot her a blank look.

"No. What's that?" He asked curiously. She beamed.

"It's a mark that proves you're a Fairy Tail wizard." She explained. "All the members have one. Look, Erza's is on her arm. That's what they look like." She pointed at Erza, and sure enough, Natsu saw the blue Fairy Tail seal.

"Come on, let's go get yours!" Lisanna exclaimed, grabbing Natsu's wrist and dragging him along behind her. After a brief moment, the pink haired boy grinned and followed her.

Lisanna ran over to a wizard Natsu hadn't met yet and gestured at the pink haired boy.

"Natsu's just joined our Guild, so could he get the Fairy Tail emblem please?" She asked politely yet enthusiastically. The wizard glanced at her companion and nodded.

"Of course. Here," She picked up what looked like a stamp from the table. "Where do you want it?"

Natsu hesitated, before glancing at Lisanna, who was smiling encouragingly. "My shoulder, I guess." He said. "In red." He grinned. "Like fire!"

Lisanna smiled shyly as Natsu got his mark. Once he had, she giggled.

"Now you're a proper member of Fairy Tail." She announced happily.

"Really? Cool!" He said cheerfully, craning his neck awkwardly to try and see the mark. Suddenly they were interrupted by a familiar drawling voice.

"You look like an idiot." Gray said flatly. Natsu and Gray instantly butted heads and Natsu growled back:

"At least I know how to keep my clothes on!"

"Why don't you just go set yourself on fire, pyro?"

"I would set your clothes on fire, but you're not wearing any, stripper!" Natsu hissed.

Gray smirked. "Hah, nice try. I know I'm wearing my – " He gasped as he looked down and realized his shirt was gone. "What?" He screeched. Natsu started laughing loudly, when a new voice, one that inspired fear in the hearts of many, interrupted them.

"Are you two getting along?" Erza demanded, as she towered over the two boys. Gray, being quick on the uptake, immediately put on his biggest - albeit most fake - smile and stammered an affirmative. Natsu, not being quite so sharp, huffed a "no" before he could stop himself. One look at Gray's horrified and furious face was enough to tell him that he had made a big mistake.

"I mean, yes! Of course we are! We're great! Friends!" He cried, copying Gray's manic grin. Erza gave them a look of deep suspicion.

"Good. You should become friends." She told them firmly, before moving away. Probably to find another victim. As soon as she was out of earshot, Gray turned on Natsu and punched him in the face.

"What's the big idea, you idiot? You almost got us in trouble with Erza!" He yelled angrily. Natsu, after being pushed back, sprang forward again.

"It's not my fault you're being so annoying!" He growled, as he retaliated by aiming a punch of his own at Gray. Almost immediately, fists were flying and a real fight had broken out. Lisanna wisely retreated to safety. However, the brawl was interrupted once again by Erza. She stepped in and immediately halted the action by simultaneously hitting both boys.

"I leave you two alone for five seconds and this is what happens?" She thundered, eyes glowering. "I thought you were getting along!"

Gray started backing away. "We were! This… it isn't what it looks like!" He stammered. Natsu nodded, following Gray's lead.

"Yeah! We're getting along! We were just…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"Sparring?" The way Gray said made it sound more like a question, but then he nodded. "Yeah. Sparring. Friendly practice."

Erza seemed to consider this. "Well, that's not a bad idea." She conceded. Natsu was grinning hopefully. After a moment of thought, Erza nodded once. "Very well. Sparring is acceptable. But only if you are supervised."

"What!?" Natsu and Gray both yelled, outraged. Erza paid them no heed.

"Yes. In fact, why don't you get the Master to watch a fight tomorrow? I'm sure he would be interested to know how far along your hand to hand combat skills are." She suggested.

Natsu glanced at Gray. "That does sound fun." He said grudgingly. Gray shrugged.

"Fine. I'll just kick your ass properly."

Natsu glared. "You can try, you freak! But I won't lose to you!"

"Good. It's settled then. Tomorrow evening? I would like to be a spectator as well. Until then, I will see no more fighting between you two." Erza stated calmly. She threw them one last threatening glance and stalked away.

Gray shot Natsu a look that had "it's on" written all over it.

"See you around, flamebrain." He spat as he left.

"Later, streaker!" Natsu called after him. He turned around as he heard quiet but familiar laughter.

"I guess Gray's like your rival now?" Lisanna giggled. Natsu grinned cockily, his entire demeanor changing as he switched from fighting Gray to talking to Lisanna.

"Hah! He only wishes he was my rival!" He said importantly, making the white haired girl laugh more. He grinned. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, how did that stripper know that I use fire magic?" He wondered aloud. Lisanna smiled a little sheepishly.

"News travels fast in this guild. I already knew too." She admitted. Natsu gaped.

"Really?" He asked. She nodded. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "What kind of magic do you use then?"

She smiled shyly. "Everyone in my family uses takeover magic." She told him. Seeing the confused face he was pulling, she giggled and explained. "It lets us take over other souls, giving us their powers and physical appearance. It's kind of like shapeshifter magic. Only if we're not careful, we could get taken over completely and lose control. That's why we have to be careful when we're doing full-body takeovers."

Natsu stared. "That sounds dangerous." He said, his admiration for the little girl rising. "And really awesome!"

She blushed cutely.

"Thanks." She said with a small smile. Natsu grinned back. Suddenly her expression became worried.

"Oh! Where are you going to live?" She asked. Natsu shrugged.

"I haven't really thought about it." He said with an easy grin, crossing his arms behind his head, the picture of casual relaxation. Lisanna didn't seem impressed by his nonchalance.

"Well you have to live somewhere!" She argued quietly. Natsu shrugged carelessly.

"Eh. I'll figure something out."

Lisanna was by no means satisfied by that casual answer. "I Know! Why don't you rent an apartment?" She suggested brightly. Natsu frowned.

"Don't you need to pay rent for that?" Lisanna nodded. "No thanks. I'll find something else."

"Oh! Maybe we could make you a house!" She suggested brightly. Now it was Natsu's turn to look unimpressed.

"I'll just stay in the forest for now. Like I did with Igneel." He said flatly.

"In the forest…" the small girl muttered thoughtfully. Then her face lit up. "The forest! I've got it! There's this little abandoned cottage right next to the forest that no one lives in! You could live there!"

Natsu thought about it, then grinned. "That sounds good!" He exclaimed. "Can you show me where it is?" He asked eagerly. Lisanna nodded.

"Sure! I go exploring near there quite a lot with my big brother Elf!" She explained. Natsu shot her his signature huge, adorable grin, making her blush sweetly, and they set off.

The walk to the forest was pleasant for both of them. Natsu was more than happy to tell Lisanna stories about his life with Igneel, and about his plans as a Fairy Tail member, which mainly included getting into fights and finding the fire dragon. Lisanna, in turn, was fascinated and amused by his tales, and enjoyed listening to him talk. Sometimes she chimed in with a story of her own, about a job she had gone on, and then it would be Natsu's turn to listen in amazement. Very soon, they arrived at the forest, and sure enough, a small, derelict house was standing at its edge, alone.

The garden, if it could be called that, was overrun by various plants; part of the roof had collapsed and there was tree growing out of the house. The front door was hanging open and the house itself looked rundown and neglected.

"It's perfect!" Natsu declared with a grin


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: see previous disclaimers.**

**A/N: I know it's been a while since I updated, and I'm sorry. Here's the latest chapter.**

The next day came quickly, as did the planned duel between Natsu and Gray. Though Erza had originally set it for that evening, the two boys pretty much just charged at each other as soon as Natsu stepped foot in the Guildhall. They managed to exchange a few punches before Erza, eyes blazing, pulled them apart and said that they were under no circumstances to fight before the sparring match that evening. Looking sufficiently abashed, the two had reluctantly agreed. This lasted for all of ten minutes before they were at it again. After the fourth time, the redheaded girl finally relented and went to fetch Makarov. Soon the four of them were out the back door, on the beach. Makarov as sitting on a large rock, which almost brought him to Erza's eye level. The re-quip mage was standing with her arms crossed seriously.

Natsu glared at Gray. "You're going down, ice princess!" He yelled. Gray smirked fiercely. He had already lost his shirt somewhere.

"I don't think think so, moron."

Makarov shook his head at their antics. Really, they were quite alike at heart, but they seemed oblivious to their similarities. "You may begin!" He called. Without even a moments hesitation, the boys sprang at each other, yelling.

Makarov soon stopped watching the fight and switched to watching Erza. Her eyes were flicking from one combatant to the other, taking in every movement, every feint, every strike. It was atonishing to him how natural the girl was at all kinds of combat. He didn't know all the details of her past, but he was quite sure that she had never been properly trained, yet she handled all kinds of weaponery as though she had been born with a sword in her hand. In addition, she was an expert at hand to hand combat, and she had the moral code of a paladin. Above all, she was an extremely powerful wizard. Her opinion about this fight would be very important, and very interesting.

Natsu's strength had taken him by surprise, mostly because of his youth, but now that he was getting used to him, it had become clear that the redheaded girl was in fact considerably stronger than him. The dragon slayer was actually on par with Gray. Who was also something else. There was no doubt in Makarov's mind that the new generation of Fairy Tail wizards was going to be exceptional.

And would probably bring a mountain of paperwork.

Erza's brow furrowed slightly as the fight went on. She watched as Gray ducked under a wild punch thrown by Natsu, and retaliated with a kick to the pink haired boy's stomach, which knocked the breath out of him, and sent him back a few paces. Before the shirtless kid could press his advantage, Natsu recovered and blocked the next punch with his forearm, catching Gray off guard and managing to hit him square on the jaw. With a growl, Gray hit back.

Erza glanced at the sun. It was shinning brightly in the sky, telling her that they had been here for some time now. And both boys looked worse for the wear, though Natsu was clearly worse off. However, though they were a bit battered and bruised, neither looked close to giving up. They were out of breath and had to be tired, but the requip mage could admire their determination.

Suddenly, with a powerful strike, Gray sent Natsu flying. Gasping for breath, the pink haired boy sat up, one arm resting on his knee, trying to catch his breath and recover enough to keep going. Gray stopped to wait. Good, that showed he had honour. Erza thoroughly approved of honour. She couldn't stand cowards.

"Get up!" Natsu said, sitting up. Erza raised her eyebrows. Was he talking to himself? It didn't sound like it somehow. Had he been hit harder in the head than she had originally thought? Gray looked equally puzzled. Natsu glared at his rival.

"Come on, get up!" He repeated.

"You're the one who needs to get up, so you come on!" Gray yelled, pointing angrily at the fire mage. Dragging strength up from somewhere, Natsu pushed himself to his feet and charged at the other boy with a yell. His attack was wild and uncontrolled, and Gray had no problem dodging and striking back. This time Natsu lay on the ground, panting.

"Sorry, but you lose." Gray declared, not sounding particularly sorry at all, before turning to walk away. He only made it a few steps before Natsu stopped him.

"Hold on." He said, still panting, but able to sit up. One side of his face looked swollen and scrunched up, but he got to his feet. "This fight's not near over, Gray!"

The ice mage's jaw dropped slightly, before he grinned darkly.

"Well if that's the way you want it!" He said as he rushed forwards with a battle cry. Natsu did the same.

Erza watched critically. Both boys were exhausted, and they now seemed to be taking turns actually hitting each other. Oddly enough, their abilities seemed to have evened out at this stage of the fight. Before, it had been clear that Gray was the more competent fighter. To Erza, it was obvious that he had more experience and better technique. Which made sense, when you considered that Natsu had been raised by a dragon and was unlikely to have ever fought another person. Therefore his fighting method was based on instinct and brute strength. Gray had most likely, from the way he moved, had a sparring partner before, and it had paid off. And yet now, at the end of the fight, somehow Natsu was finally on par with his opponent.

"I'm not! Gonna! Lose!" Natsu shouted between punches. Gray snarled.

"You're gonna have to, cause I! Wanna win!" He replied, with equal anger and determination. Then, as one, they both yelled,

"You're going down!"

They both put everything they had into their final strike, and to Erza's surprise, they both found their targets. They had managed to hit each other in the exact same place, and then they both fell onto their sides in mirror images of each other. They even had the same identical look of surprise and outrage on their faces.

It was a tie.

Erza looked down, going over the last few seconds of the fight in her mind.

"Well that was certainly interesting." Makarov said mildly. Erza, for once, ignored him.

_I'm not gonna lose._

_I wanna win._

That was the difference. It was small, but nonetheless important. Gray had only wanted victory. Wanted it very much, certainly, but still only wanted it. Natsu simply _would_ _not_ lose. Their words made it clear to Erza.

"So. What can you tell me, Erza?" Makarov asked, curious as to what the girl had picked up on. She snapped out of her thoughts, realized she had been ignoring the master, gasped, and slammed her fist over her heart.

"Forgive me, master Makarov! I was distracted. This is not acceptable. If you like, you may -"

"That won't be necessary..." Makarov replied nervously, aware that Erza, following her strange and very strict code, was about to suggest that he punch her. Luckily, she didn't insist, and returned to the matter at hand.

"Though they are both equally strong and fast, Gray is the superior fighter. He has better technique and more experience." She relayed. Makarov raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Then why did they draw at the end?" He asked carefully. He had his own suspicions, and just wanted to know whether the girl would confirm them. After a moment's thought, she answered.

"Whatever they were fighting for, Natsu's motivation was more important to him than Gray's did, and it allowed him to make up for the skills he lacked and to draw level." She shrugged slightly. "Sometimes, even if you're physically weaker, _why_ you're fighting can be just as crucial as _how_ you fight." Her eyes grew distant. "One day, Gray may enter a battle in which the reason he fights will be enough to allow him to overpower his enemies. In this case, it just meant more to Natsu." She explained.

Makarov closed his eyes and smiled slightly. His thoughts precisely. The girl was really quite impressive, and not just for her power or skill. Erza turned away.

"It appears we are done here. In that case, I suppose I could leave for my mission today instead of tomorrow as I had originally planned. Farewell, master." She said as she walked away.

Makarov watched her leave, before turning to look at the two boys, who were still lying on the sand recuperating. Gray was staring at the sky with a strangely angry look on his face.

A very interesting new generation indeed...

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Same as usual**

"Huh?"

Natsu stared dumbly at Lisanna, who was standing in front of him patiently.

"I said, do you want to come on a job with me and my sister?" She repeated. Natsu grimaced.

"A job?" He whined. That sounded like a major pain in the ass. Lisanna nodded.

"Yeah. We take them in order to earn money to pay for things like rent and clothes." She replied. Natsu still looked unconvinced. "And food, of course."

"I'll come." He said immediately. Lisanna giggled.

"Okay then! We're leaving this afternoon, so you should probably go pack. We'll meet you at the train station, okay?"

To her surprise, Natsu turned vaguely grey.

"The what now?" He got out, looking horrified. Lisanna hesitated.

"Uh... the train station? We're catching an overnight train - Natsu are you okay?" She gasped as her friend threw his hand over his mouth and turned away slightly. After a moment's silence, he seemed to pull it together and turned pleading eyes on the white haired girl.

"Isn't there another way?"

She shook her head, confused. "Sorry, but we're going to a town that's pretty far away. If we walked, it would take days. And Mira... well, Mira's not very patient." She thought about it. "Or fond of walking."

Natsu scowled. He was torn: he could get money for food, not to mention the opportunity to beat some people up, which sounded so awesome. But he would once again have to board that moving monstrosity.

On the other hand, he might get lucky and run into Igneel. That settled it.

"What time?"

That afternoon, Natsu raced into the station, blissfully unaware of the disdainful stares he was receiving, though he wouldn't have cared if he had noticed them. Ignoring the way his stomach lurched when he saw the trains, he started looking for the Strauss sisters. As it happened, Mira Jane was hard to miss.

"You!" She screamed, slamming her fist down on his head. "Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting? The train is about to leave, you idiot!" She spun on her heel and strode away. Rubbing his head, Natsu got to his feet and glared at her retreating form furiously.

"Hi there Natsu! It's nice to see you!" Lisanna said, smiling happily. All the anger vanished from his expression as he turned to look at the takeover mage. He returned the grin, and together they took off after Mira Jane.

The second the train started moving, Natsu groaned and dropped his head onto the table.

"What wrong with him?" Mira asked her sister, jerking her thumb at the Dragon Slayer. Lisanna shrugged worriedly.

"Macao mentionned he gets motion sick." She explained. Natsu managed a small nod. Vaguely reassured, Lisanna pulled out the request they had accepted.

"So, we've been hired to track down a magic gem -" She started, but was interrupted by Natsu, who overcame his motion sickness in order to be appropriately outraged and horrified.

"What? We're looking for some stupid rock? I thought there would be people to beat up or something!" He shouted. "Why did - oh no..." Before covering his mouth again and going back to being ill. Mira Jane looked disgusted.

"I swear, if you throw up on my new outfit, I will throw you out of this train myself." She threatened. Natsu didn't seem to hear her. Lisanna smiled sympathetically.

"Don't worry, Natsu. It'll still be fun!" She said earnestly. The only responses she received were a groan from her friend, and a snort from her sister.

"Really? Because I'm with puke-face over there. It sounds boring." Mira drawled. "But, the Master says you kids need more experience with the easy stuff before you can take on cooler missions, so here we are."

Lisanna smiled serenely. "Well, the gem _was _stolen. So maybe it will be interesting for you two." She offered. Mira scowled.

"Are you kidding? The poster said it was stolen by one guy. _One_. I bet I could take him out with one punch!" She declared. holding up her fist. Then she sighed. "How am I supposed to show up Erza when I keep getting stuck babysitting?" She turned to look out the window angrily. Sensing that conversation time was over, Lisanna started humming to herself. Natsu's grip on the table intensified. A few minutes passed in silence, before Mira sighed.

"This is going to be such a long ride."

The next day, they arrived, and Natsu threw himself out of the train almost before it had stopped moving. Lisanna giggled at his antics, whereas the older Strauss just rolled her eyes.

"Get up, we've gotta go. The train doesn't stop in the town we're headed to, and it's a few hours walk from here." Mira snapped. Natsu looked up hopefully.

"We _are_ walking, right?" He asked. Lisanna nodded.

"Uh huh. We don't really have the money to hire someone to take us." She explained, before setting off after her sister. For a while, there was complete silence, but eventually Lisanna, ever the peacemaker, managed to start a conversation involving both of her companions, and they talked right up until the town appeared on the horizon.

"Woah." Natsu breathed, a huge grin breaking onto his face. Even from a great distance, the town seemed to bustle with life and energy. Lisanna smiled at his enthusiasm, but Mira just snorted.

"I've seen way cooler places than this." She bragged. Then she turned to her sister, for once smiling sweetly instead of fiercely. It made her look a lot like her younger sister, despite the very different outfit. "Do you remember than job we took a few months ago? Just you, me and Elfman?"

"Of course! I had so much fun!" Lisanna replied, smiling back.

"Well, the city we went to then was something else."

Natsu watched their interaction curiously. They seemed so completely comfortable with each other, it reminded him of how he spoke with Igneel. It was so painfully obvious that they were family, and that they knew each other in a way no one else ever would. It made Natsu uneasy, and suddenly he wished there was someone else there as well, another outsider, so he wouldn't be the only one intruding on something he clearly wasn't a part of.

Then the moment passed and they all hurried on, unwilling to loiter when their destination was in sight. Natsu in particular was looking forward to finding food. What seemed like minutes later they found themselves standing in the middle of a busy street, filled with people going about their day. Natsu grinned. Everything was so lively! It was completely unlike the forest he grew up in, and he loved it.

So, now all he had to do was find the gem. And keep an eye out for Igneel, just in case. Without a better plan, he decided to head off in a random direction. He didn't get very far before a hand grabbed his scarf, pulling him short.

"Huh?" He twisted around to see Mira glaring at him.

"Where do you think you're going? The town hall is the other way!" She snapped. Lisanna pointed in the right direction helpfully. Natsu stared at Mira, confused.

"Why do we want to go there?"

There was a moment of silence, before Mira whacked him over the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" The pink haired boy asked angrily, rubbing his head. Lisanna took it upon herself to explain.

"The mayor is the one who put up the job request, so we have to go and see him and say we're here. Also, he might have information we can use to track down the thief."

Natsu blinked, before nodding slowly. That made sense. He was starting to realize that it was a good thing he was with people who knew what they were doing.

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who read my story and for leaving positive reviews!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

It turned out, the mayor was a tall, skinny man with eyes that were set slightly too far apart, and who wore a mousy business suit that hung off his frame. He also had a huge pair of glasses on, that were slightly too small for him. However, he was pleasant enough, if a little flustered, and welcomed them.

"Ah, Good to have you here, uh…" He trailed off as he took in the pink haired boy with the scarf who was staring at him with curiosity, the little girl whose smile hadn't wavered since she came in the door, and the teenager with the dangerous gleam in her eyes whose stark white hair contrasted sharply with her dark tank top and daring black mini shorts. The mayor rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Fairy Tail, I take it?"

"Yep!" The boy said happily, crossing his arms behind his head and grinning. It was so cute the mayor found himself smiling slightly as well, despite his anxiety at behind in the same room as three wizards from one of Fiore's most powerful, not to mention notoriously destructive guilds. As soon as he heard that it was Fairy Tail that accepted the job, he had advised the townspeople to take out insurance if they hadn't already. Better safe than sorry, after all.

Rolling her eyes, the eldest girl stepped forward. "I don't have time for this, so why don't you tell me about the gem?" She demanded impatiently.

The mayor gulped. "Yes of course. Right this way."

They followed him into an office, where he pulled out a drawing of an average sized gem.

"Oh! It's so pretty!" Lisanna gasped happily, eyes widening at the sight of it. Mira said nothing, and Natsu wasn't paying attention. At least not until Mira threw a book at his head. It bounced off and knocked a few items of the desk. Natsu glared at the white haired teen.

"What's the big idea?" He demanded angrily.

"Listen to what the guy's saying, this is important!"

"Guys, calm down." Lisanna interrupted, the voice of reason, as she collected the things off of the floor. She glanced at the mayor, who was looking a little faint. In an attempt to calm him down, Lisanna gestured at the picture frame in her hands.

"This is such a nice painting! Are those your kids?" She asked. After a moment, the mayor nodded.

"My son and daughter." He acknowledged. Mira sighed impatiently.

"How nice. Now, the gem?"

The mayor coloured, then nodded. "Right. Well, you see, uh… the gem was being kept in the local museum. It's the only thing of real interest we have here, you see. Because it was found here, we were allowed to keep it, but no one really knows about it outside this town. Which was always a good thing, because the security here can be… quite lax." He started. Mira snorted, causing him to glance in her direction, but he quickly decided to let it be. "But it seems someone finally caught on, and now…" He trailed off.

Lisanna's smile had dropped in empathy with the man. "I'm sorry. Don't worry though, we'll get it back for you! We're Fairy Tail wizards, we never give up!"

The mayor glanced at her a little strangely, before nodding. "Well, we're quite certain they can't have left the town. We thrive on trade here, you know. That means we keep quite a close an eye on what comes in and leaves here." He paused sadly. "Just not on what happens inside."

Mira scowled. "We get the picture. Someone's lying low in town, with a big rock. We'll find it. You can get our reward ready." She said as she strode confidently from the office. Lisanna flashed the bewildered mayor one last smile.

"It was nice meeting you!" She called as she ran after her sister. Natsu put the fossil he had been examining back on the desk and followed them with a carefree wave in the mayor's direction. The mayor sat down with a sigh and settled in to wait, and hope Fairy Tail lived up to its reputation.

"Where are we going now, Mira?" Lisanna asked. The older girl glanced down at her little sister.

"To the museum. We need to figure out how our thief got in and out, and see if he left any clues. Then we track him down, and kick his ass." She said with an intimidating grin. Lisanna giggled quietly, never having felt even slightly in danger around her sister. And Natsu, who thought the last part sounded great and who had pretty much just tuned out the dull part, grinned and brought his fists together.

"Alright! Let's start!" He yelled enthusiastically. Laughing, Lisanna grabbed his hand and dragged him off towards the museum. Grumbling, Mira jogged after them.

They were greeted at the museum by two scrawny guards, both of whom were trying to cover up sheepish looks. They were both stunned into silence at the sight of Mira, who flipped her hair back as she sauntered straight past them, speaking as she went.

"I want to see where the gem was kept. I want to know where all the exits and entrances are. I want to know everything you know about who was in here lately. Most of all, I want to wrap this up quickly so I can do some shopping." She stopped and turned back to the guards who were tripping over themselves to keep up. "Any questions?"

"N-no ma'am!"

Minutes later, they were staring at an empty stone stand. The guards had stammered out whatever information they had, which wasn't much.

"So this is where it was?" Natsu asked, frowning at the empty space. Lisanna nodded. The Dragon Slayer sniffed the air experimentally.

"There was someone here recently." He said confidently, not registering the surprised looks the Strauss sisters sent him. "Just one. Hey, do you guys think it could be the thief?" He asked with a proud grin. Mira looked like she was about to punch him, but Lisanna interrupted.

"You must be right!" She cried happily, ignoring Mira's "well, _duh" _ in the background. "Can you tell where he went?"

Natsu shrugged and tried again. Disappointed, he shook his head. "Sorry. It was ages ago." He said. Mira glowered.

"You're pretty useless, you know?" She snapped. Natsu glared, and let his fire lace itself around his fist.

"Oh yeah? Wanna test that?" He growled. Mira snorted.

"I could wipe the floor with you, brat. But that'll have to wait. I have a gem to find. Just try and stay out of my way, got it?" She said, before spinning on her heel with an elegant flounce and examining the walls. Before Natsu could attack her regardless, Lisanna stepped in.

"Would you stop? We have to work together!" She said, exasperated, for once not sounding cheerful. The change caught Natsu off guard, and he found himself letting his flames dissipate. Still angry though, he spun and launched a kick at the stand, powering it up with Dragon Slayer flames. It crumpled completely. Lisanna gasped, but Mira just scowled.

"What is your problem?" She demanded, though not seeming particularly fussed. She marched over, punched Natsu for being an idiot, before noticing something.

"Huh. Is that… a passageway?" She muttered, watching the dust clear. Lisanna pushed past her sister to see.

"Wow! It's a hidden tunnel underneath the stand!" She said excitedly. Natsu grinned, earlier issues forgotten.

"He must be down there! Let's go beat him up!" He yelled, before tearing off down the stairs. Mira's smile was surprisingly similar to the pink haired boy's as she turned to her sister.

"For once, he's got the right idea." With that, she raced after him. Lisanna laughed a little and followed suit.


End file.
